Fantasy Football News
Marquez Valdes-Scantling Logs Full Practice Thursday
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest) upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an improvement for the veteran receiver after he had been limited on Wednesday. Valdes-Scantling has been the epitome of a boom-or-bust player this season, demonstrating a heavy dependence on big plays. Over his last six games, he has caught just 13 of 26 targets for 347 yards and four touchdowns. To make matters even worse, in two games since Derek Carr (hand) went down, Valdes-Scantling has caught just two of nine targets for 64 yards and zero scores. He should be benched in most fantasy leagues if Carr remains sidelined, as expected, in Week 18.
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Juwan Johnson Remains Limited Thursday
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (knee) was a limited participant during practice on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that he had limited involvement. The 28-year-old has not yet missed a game this season, amassing 44 catches, 468 yards, and three touchdowns through 16 contests. His production seemed to be declining with Derek Carr (hand) sidelined, but that changed last week as he caught six of 10 targets for 66 yards through the air. If he can maintain this type of workload in Week 18, Johnson will be a viable low-end TE1 in fantasy football.
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Chig Okonkwo Added To Injury Report Thursday
Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (abdomen) was added to the injury report after logging a limited practice on Thursday. The 25-year-old was not previously known to have an injury, so his status warrants monitoring as the Titans' Week 18 contest against the Houston Texans draws closer. Okonkwo has never missed a game through nearly three seasons in the NFL. He has come on quite strong lately, catching 22 of 28 targets for 182 yards over his last three games. If active this Sunday, he'll continue to rank as a fringe top-12 fantasy tight end.
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Nick Folk Logs Limited Session Thursday
Tennessee Titans kicker Nick Folk (abdomen) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice. This was an improvement for the 40-year-old after being estimated as a non-participant on Wednesday. Folk kicked in each of the Titans' first 14 games this season, but he has missed the last two contests due to injury. His return to practice on Thursday comes one day after the Titans released Matthew Wright from their active roster. All signs point to Folk suiting up for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Houston Texans.
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Tyler Boyd Remains Sidelined Thursday
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd (foot) did not participate in Thursday's practice. Boyd was sidelined for the second day in a row, casting serious doubt about his availability for Week 18 against the Houston Texans. He hasn't been inactive yet this season but could be at risk of missing Sunday's regular-season finale. The veteran receiver has caught 39 passes for 390 yards through 16 games, but he's still searching for his first touchdown as a member of the Titans. If Boyd can't suit up, we'd expect some combination of Mason Kinsey and Bryce Oliver in the No. 3 receiver role behind Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
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Xavier Legette Limited In Practice Thursday
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) was limited during practice on Thursday. The rookie had been a full participant on Wednesday, so this latest update does raise some concerns about his availability for Week 18. The 23-year-old has caught 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns while operating behind Adam Thielen this season. He continues to lose some targets to Jalen Coker and David Moore, but he remains an intriguing dynasty target as he wraps up a solid first campaign in the NFL. In the short term, Legette's status for Week 18 remains up in the air, but we should get more clarity on his status when the Panthers release their Friday injury report.
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Justin Tucker A Solid Option Against Browns
Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker registered his second finish in K1 territory in a row. He knocked through his lone field goal attempt of 52 yards and made all four of his extra points. Now, he returns home to face the Cleveland Browns in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North and the third seed for the AFC. With the Browns fielding a mix-and-match roster due to rest and injuries, the Ravens' offense should be able to move the ball into Tucker's range. He remains a solid fantasy start in the season finale.
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Zay Flowers Looking To Bounce Back In Season Finale
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't get in on the scoring action during the blowout win over the Houston Texans in Week 17. After being the first receiver named to the Pro Bowl in franchise history, Flowers will look to build some momentum going into the playoffs against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. The last time the two teams faced off in Week 8, he finished as a WR2, and they'll be without Denzel Ward (shoulder) while Grant Delpit is playing through shoulder and knee injuries. Flowers holds high-end WR2 value again in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North.
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Rashod Bateman A Mid-Level Flex Play In Week 18
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has been a boom-or-bust option all season long despite logging the best year of his career so far. He remains the most consistent deep threat on the team as he averages 17 yards per reception and 10.6 yards per target. The Cleveland Browns are a bit banged up and don't have any playoff aspirations, so Bateman could find his way behind the defense for another long touchdown play. His boom-or-bust nature leaves him as more of a flex play though.
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Mark Andrews A Top Option In Week 18
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is the TE5 on the season in half-PPR formats and has hauled in a touchdown in each of the last five games. The Ravens will go up against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday with a chance at winning the AFC North, so the starters will suit up against a team that has a laundry list of injuries. Andrews remains a TE1 heading into the season finale especially with a TE1 finish against the Browns the last time they played in Week 8.
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Antoine Winfield Jr. Gets Back To Practice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice session. It's nice to see Winfield back at practice considering he hasn't played since suffering a knee injury in Week 14. A limited session on Thursday indicates that Winfield has a decent chance at playing against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. If so, that would be a huge upgrade for this secondary who desperately misses Winfield. This season, Winfield has 60 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended in nine games.
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Payne Durham Returns To Practice On Thursday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham (quad) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice session. This is good news after Durham sat out to open the week due to a quad issue. Durham has seen a bigger role on offense lately with Cade Otton (knee) missing the last two games. Otton was able to get back on the practice field on Thursday as well. The return of Otton would basically end the streaming value that Durham has created for himself. Possibly, Durham has played well enough to remain involved, but he'll fall further on the pecking order if Otton returns for this weekend's matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
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Sterling Shepard Remains Limited On Thursday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) remained a limited participant during Thursday's practice session. This marks two days in a row that Shepard has been limited after missing last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. There is a decent chance that Shepard returns this weekend, but his fantasy outlook is bleak. Rookie wideout Jalen McMillan has taken a major step forward over the last few weeks. Both McMillan and Mike Evans figure to be the focal point in the receiving game going forward. The absence of Shepard could mean more snaps for Trey Palmer, but he hasn't done anything noteworthy lately.
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Dustin Hopkins A Low-End Option In Week 18
Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins made his lone field-goal attempt in a Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He will look to finish up what has been a tough season for him in a Week 18 road matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. The Ravens have been decent against kickers this season, allowing the 13th-most fantasy points per game to the position. Neither Hopkins nor the Cleveland offense has done much to inspire confidence in fantasy this season, leaving him as a low-end option heading into Week 18.
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Harrison Smith Upgraded To Full Practice
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (foot) was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday's practice session. Smith opened the week as a limited participant after battling through a foot injury during last week's win over the Green Bay Packers. The fact that Smith was able to get through a full practice session on Thursday means that he should be good to go for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. The All-Pro safety is a big part of this defense with 83 tackles, nine passes defended, and two interceptions in 15 games this season.
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Jordan Akins To Make Second Straight Start In Week 18
Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins finished second on the team in receiving in a Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He will draw another start with David Njoku (knee) already ruled out for his team's Week 18 road matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Akins will take on a Baltimore defense that is allowing the 14th-most fantasy points per game to enemy tight ends this season. The Cleveland pass catchers will also get a slight upgrade in the season finale as the team will start Bailey Zappe and not Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. That being said, Akins is tough to trust as anything more than a low-end TE2 in Week 18.
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Elijah Moore A Low-End Option In Week 18
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore will finish off his 2024 season with a road matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Moore has been quiet of late, having caught just eight passes for 55 yards over his past four contests. The Ravens have struggled against wide receivers this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. The entire Cleveland passing attack gets a small upgrade as the team will start Bailey Zappe in place of Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the season finale. That being said, Moore hasn't been consistent enough to trust as anything more than a WR5 in fantasy heading into Week 18.
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Kalif Raymond Gets Through Another Full Practice
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) was a full participant in practice for the second straight day on Thursday. Raymond was designated to return from the injured reserve last Thursday. Afterwards, Raymond was a full participant in practice, but remained sidelined for Monday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. It remains to be seen if the Lions will let him back get on the field for the regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Raymond has 16 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns this season. If active, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Raymond to be a difference maker during Sunday's game.
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Jerry Jeudy A Low-End WR2 In Week 18
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) will put the finishing touches on a career year in a Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Jeudy turned in a solid effort last week, catching 12 passes for 94 yards in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. Cleveland will turn to their fourth starting quarterback of the season as Bailey Zappe will make his first start for the team after Kevin Stefanski chose to tab him as his starter over Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The quarterback change will actually be a slight upgrade for Jeudy as Thompson-Robinson has not shown much as an NFL passer across his two seasons. The Baltimore defense has been beatable through the air this season, making Jeudy a low-end WR2 in fantasy for Week 18.
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Derrick Henry Still At RB1 Value In Week 18
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry will suit up and try to win an AFC North crown in his first season with the team on Saturday in the Week 18 regular-season finale. He's registered back-to-back games with at least 20 fantasy points in half-PPR formats, and now he sets his sights on the Cleveland Browns in the season finale. Henry posted 73 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries the last time he played the Browns and fell just shy of a RB1 status for the week. At home, Henry averages 119.0 yards and a touchdown per game, and the Browns won't have a full team of starters. He comes in as an RB1 yet again to finish off the season.
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling
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Saints
